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Sen. Charles Schumer on I-81: Don't think too small, Syracuse

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer Visits Syracuse Media Group

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer meets with the editorial board of syracuse.com and The Post-Standard today. At the meeting, Schumer advised Central New York not to think too small when it comes to rebuilding Interstate 81.
(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

Schumer, D-N.Y., said he doesn't want to wade into the current discussion about the best solution for the aging highway. Instead, he said, once Central New York and state leaders reach consensus on the best option, he'll fight in Congress for the money to rebuild Syracuse's main north/south artery.

"So I would not tell people think small," Schumer said today in Syracuse. "I'd say, come up with what you think is best and then we would try to get the funding."

U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWitt, agrees. "Yes, I'm concerned about costs to the taxpayer," Maffei said in an interview Friday. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that has to be the cheapest option."

The elevated portion of I-81 that runs next to downtown Syracuse will reach the end of its useful life in 2017. New York's Department of Transportation is heading the massive project, which could change the landscape of downtown Syracuse and traffic patterns near two of its biggest employers: Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University.

It's not yet clear how local, state and federal governments will share the cost of I-81's reconstruction. Generally, the federal government pays for 80 percent of these projects, with state and local governments sharing the balance of costs.

Right now, the state DOT is finalizing a contract with Parsons Transportation Group that will study in great detail options for the highway. So far, the DOT has deemed a boulevard or replacement bridge as two feasible options.

Going with a more costly option won't be easy. Schumer expects Congress to approve a massive highway projects bill next year, and competition for dollars will be stiff. An I-81 project with a $2 billion price tag, for example, would be a "large, large reach," he said today.

But, Schumer added, a transportation project that also includes a plan to boost the local economy and add long-term jobs will help get the approval of Congress and the Obama administration.

"Does it bring more business?" Schumer said of the ultimate plan. "Does it create more jobs?...That would help, yes."

State transportation officials will spend the next few months further studying options and their costs. The public will be a part of that, state transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald has said.